Brothers' Founder Grounded

Faa: Basulto Planned Flight To Cuban Airspace

Jose Basulto, the volunteer aviator and anti-Castro militant who placed himself at the center of new U.S.-Cuba tensions, lost his wings on Thursday.

Basulto, founder and leader of Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based group, was grounded the day after filing a flight plan that would have taken him near Cuban airspace one more time.

Basulto had planned to fly south of the 24th parallel on Thursday, into airspace used by the Cuban military, said a Federal Aviation Administration official in Washington, speaking on the condition that his name not be used.

Instead, the FAA slapped him with an emergency order, revoking his pilot's license. The agency says Basulto violated U.S. aviation rules by entering Cuban airspace without permission twice in the past 10 months.

Basulto called the FAA action a "political vendetta," and vowed to appeal.

He said Washington blames his search and rescue group for thousands of Cuban refugees reaching Florida shores.

"The Clinton administration has held that against us and this is an act of revenge against Brothers to the Rescue," said Basulto, flanked by his lawyers and fellow pilots in the group's hangar at Opa-locka Airport.

Federal officials countered that Basulto ignored "numerous warnings" from the FAA and the State Department to stay away from Cuban airspace.

Violating the FAA order carries a penalty of up to $1,000 per flight, and possible criminal charges.

Ordinarily, pilots must wait a year before applying for reinstatement, the FAA says.

Basulto has acknowledged flying over Havana at least once to drop anti-Castro leaflets as an act of protest against the communist government.

The FAA says he entered Cuban airspace on July 13 and Feb. 24 - the day Cuban MiGs destroyed two unarmed civilian planes carrying group members.

Four members of Brothers to the Rescue were killed, and the Clinton administration retaliated with new economic sanctions against the government of Fidel Castro.

The United States also sought to prevent another confrontation between exiles and the Cuban government, warning Basulto and other pilots they would be sanctioned for future unauthorized flights into Cuba.

Basulto has denied entering Cuban air territory on Feb. 24, and said even the Cuban government backs him on this.

Cuban government statements have placed Basulto's aircraft outside the island's jurisdiction the day the two planes were shot down.

On Thursday, however, the Cuban government applauded the FAA action.

"It's an adequate measure for someone that has shown complete disregard for the regulations of the FAA and international law," said Jose Ponce, spokesman for the Cuban Interests Section in Washington.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, called the FAA order a "shameful act."

After being served with the FAA order at 9 a.m. Thursday, Basulto boarded his Cessna as a passenger. He flew about 10 miles off the coast of Miami Beach and threw flowers to commemorate the 30th birthday of Pablo Morales, one of the four pilots killed on Feb. 24.

"The United States is falling to a very low moral ground at this time," Basulto said.